Improvement in upright piano-fortes



G. H. DAVIS.

Upright Piano-Fortes.

No 143 967. Pammedocnzsnsva.

F217' 7' F117. e.

@c3 (DJ DI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORG-E II. DAVIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1113.967, dated October 28,1873; application filed July 23, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Girons-E Hummm) Die vrs, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of l\flassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Upright Piano- Fortes 5 and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, vof which- Figure l is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a rear elevation, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of the metallic and wooden frames and strainingpin bar of an upright piano having myimprovement. Fig. A is a horizontal section of the whole taken through the straining-pin bar. Fig. 5 is a 'front elevation with the strainingA pin bar removed.

In carrying out my invention I provide the metallic frame A at top with a shelf, e, for the lower edge. of the straining-pin bar B to rest against; and from the back of the said shelf I project upward a lian ge, C, formed as shown, and especiallyv with a series of circular or other proper shaped openings, b I), made through it transversely. This tlange I embed within the upper part of the back or wooden frame D, and secure it fast thereto by means of glue and a series of screws, c c. The st 1aining-pin bar B, composed of a series of thin plates or bars of wood placed ilatwise upon one another and glued together, rests, at its back, against the front face ol the ilange, and is to be glued thereto, or to such and a series of wooden plugs, d d., arranged within and to closely till the several openings b b of the llange. Previous tothe fixation of the straining-pin bar B to the ila-nge the several openings b are to be filled with the wooden plugs, which are to be glued to the main wooden frame, and subsequently to the straining-pin bar, which is further con nected with the back frame by a series of me tallie screw-bolts, f j", screwed into metallic nuts g g let into the top bar ofthe baeit frame.

The object of the iiange is to insure greater selidity and stiffness to the metallic frame and the straining-pin bar, in order to render them better capable of withstanding the great strainsl of the strings. The object of the perforations b and the wooden plugs d thereof, connecting the wooden strainingpin bar with the wooden. back frame, is to effect what ma5T be termed a hormonieus connection of the straining-pin bar with the back frame, in order that they may vibrate in unison as nearly as possible, or better than would result were there no such means of eonjoining the two. Practice has demonstrated the plugs going through the flanges and uniting the straining-pin bar and the back frame to be a matter of much value and importance in various respects.

The sounding-board is shown at Gr. The metallic flange, cast in one piece with the rest of the metallic frame, also serves to prevent the strainingpin bar from being sprung or drawn forward by the strings. It also i1nparts soliditT or stiffness to the metallic fra-me, as well as to the wooden back frame, and prevents the sounding-board from being sprung by the draft of the strings.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination ofthe shelf a and flange O with the metallic frame A, the wooden straining-piu bar B, and the back-frame D, all being arranged and applied together substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the series of wooden plugs d, or harmonie connections, with the perforated ilange C, the metallic frame A, the straining-pin bar B, and the back frame I), all being connected and arranged essentially as specified.

GEORGE HBBARD DAVIS.

Vilitnesses R. H. EDDY, H. L. ROBINSON. 

